Volunteers working to reopen Big Squaw Mountain

BIG MOOSE TOWNSHIP, Maine (NEWS CENTER) --- There stands to be fresh start coming for what was the only ski resort in the Moosehead Lake Region.

Volunteers were busy at work on Friday trying to get Big Squaw Mountain near Greenville ready for a re-opening. The ski resort used to be a huge draw in Maine but was forced to close down back in 2010. That was due to a drop in customers caused in part by trails on the upper mountain being shut off.

The nonprofit group 'Friends of Squaw Mountain' say all the fresh snow that hit Maine made them take action on the project this year. They were able to lease the mountain for the season from its owner for only one dollar.

Volunteers have also donated items and their time in an effort to get the slopes ready.

"Ya know the lift needs some work too because its been out of service for two years," said Amy Lane, who is president of 'Friends of Squaw Mountain,' "so you know we have a team over there that has been experienced with Squaw...they've been here for years and years so they've been over there going through the procedures just to get that up and running."

Volunteers say they aim to keep the mountain open on weekends to start. They are planning to seek government grants in the future to help with the upkeep of the resort and get it self sustaining again.

Next weekend skiers will be able to ski Big Squaw for whatever they would like to donate to the organization. Of course that will depend on the ski lift satisfying a state inspection.